Challenges release more seats following high interest in life course conference

The Hon Dr Megan Woods, the Minister for Research, Science and Innovation will open He Ora te Whakapiri: Unleashing the potential of New Zealand’s life course research conference at Te Papa Tongarewa on 18 October this year. Hosted by the three health and wellbeing national science challenges, A Better Start, Healthier Lives and Ageing Well, this major conference brings together leading thinkers about life course research from New Zealand and overseas.

The Minister has said that, in an interconnected world, national science challenges are crucial to making our science system cutting edge and integrative.There has been unprecedented interest in He Ora te Whakapiri. As a result the hosts have decided to add seats to the conference venue and open the conference to further registrations. However as places remain limited, please register early to secure your place.The Challenge hosts are delighted to announce the leading thinkers who will participate in two keynote sessions. Professor Juliet Gerrard, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, and Judge Andrew Becroft, the Children’s Commissioner, will each chair a keynote session.

The keynotes speakers are Professor Janeen Baxter, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (University of Queensland) and Professor Richie Poulton, Director of the National Centre for Lifecourse Research (University of Otago). Professor Baxter’s research focusses on the impact of intergenerational transfer of inequality, while Professor Poulton leads the Dunedin Study, New Zealand’s longest running longitudinal health and development study. He has been acknowledged as one of the ‘World’s Most Influential Scientific’ Minds by Thomson-Reuters.